This invention is in the field of medical equipment and is more particularly directed to means for holding and restraining an extremity of an infant while illuminating a portion thereof for permitting medical procedures such as the insertion of cannulae in blood vessels for performing various medical procedures. Even more particularly, the present invention is directed to means for supporting and illuminating the extremity of an infant without any danger of burning or other injury to the infant.
Numerous medical procedures require the insertion of hypodermic needles or other cannulae in the blood vessels of small infants with such procedures normally being effected in the extremities. Previously, such procedures have been quite difficult in that it is necessary to restrain the extremity against movement and to also illuminate the area in which the procedure is to be effected so as to permit visualization of the blood vessels beneath the skin. Consequently, it is extremely difficult for a single person to perform these procedures and injury of the infant sometimes occurs. While other restraining devices such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 711,550; 1,887,022; 2,266,230; 2,266,231; 2,551,617; 2,700,381; 3,215,834; 3,323,150; 3,358,141; 3,521,625; 3,526,222; 3,606,885; 3,650,523; 3,729,752; 3,892,399; 3,933,154; 4,045,678; 4,067,565 and 4,078,560 have been known, such devices have not proven fully satisfactory in providing safe and secure restraint of the extremity in conjunction with skin illumination with no burn hazard possibility.
Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide means for safely positioning and restraining the extremity of an infant and for also illuminating a portion of the extremity to permit the insertion of cannulae for various medical procedures.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved infant extremity positioning, restraining and illuminating means in which there is no danger of burn injury to the infant.
Achievement of the foregoing objects is enabled by the preferred embodiment of the invention which comprises a plastic base plate on which two upwardly extending support blocks are provided. The support blocks are separated from each other and the space between the support blocks receives a light directing housing connected by a flexible fiberglass tube to a light source positioned a distance away from the housing. Light from the fiberglass tube is directed to a mirror in the housing which then directs it upwardly through an opening in the upper portion of the housing in which the infant's extremity is positioned and held by strap means attached to each of the respective block members. The block members include cushion pads on their upper surface on which the extremity is positioned. Since the source of light is not adjacent the infant's skin, but is spaced a substantial distance therefrom, there is no danger of burn injury. Additionally, the aperture in the upper portion of the light directing housing is adjustable in width to accommodate extremities of varying sizes.